Third Time's The Charm
by gumiibearx3
Summary: Kushina has been arranged to marry this mysterious man from Konoha, and she only knows his name: Namikaze Minato. She is determined to get away from this possible marriage using any means necessary, but will her mind remain unchanged when she gets to know this mysterious 'Minao Kazonima' and his genin team on her way to Konoha? Rated T for possible swearing and violence.
1. Chapter 1

**(A/N): Helloo everyone! Thanks for giving my story a chance! This is probably gonna be the last time I'll put my notes at the beginning of a chapter, but I want to make few things clear right from the start:**

**- English is not my native language. This means that there may be some grammar errors in the chapters or misspelled words. I'll try my hardest to avoid them, but I'm pretty sure I may not be able to spot them all.**

**- This**** story is AU-is****h.**** That means that what happens in the story will happen in the world we all know, but there might be some changes. Since I haven't read Naruto in a long, long time I may not know all the plot twists etc. And this story being AU-ish also means that I might change up the characters ages, come up with completely new characters and so on. ****So this story WILL NOT follow the canon route.**

**- What you can recognize, is from Naruto. What you can't, is made up by me. Simple. So I do not own Naruto so please don't sue me (:**

**- This is only a Minato x Kushina fic, so there will be no other couples involved. Other couples might make an appearance later in the fic, but in no way will this fic be concentrated on any other pairing than MinaKushi.**

**Getting all those out of the way, I hope you enjoy my fic! PLEASE rate and review and leave suggestions of what is good and what could be done better!**

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><p><em>No.<em>

_There was no way in hell that this was happening again._

_She thought that she must be dreaming._

_That this was all just a wicked nightmare from which she would wake up soon._

_But she was wrong._

_Uzumaki Kushina was wrong, once again._

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><p>The day had started in the most normal way anyone could imagine. Kushina and her team had finished off a few common tasks around the village of Whirlpool. In this case, meant killing a few rock nins. Simple tasks.<p>

But words 'simple' and 'common' couldn't be used while describing the woman known as Uzumaki Kushina. Kushina was one of the most ungirly girls you would ever get the chance to meet. Actually, the only feminine parts of her were her long hair and well-shaped body. But her manners were in no level to a woman of her status.

Her father had always been the kage of her village, giving her and her two brothers, a certain status. Her two older brothers, Jiro and Saburo, were the two perfect sons anyone could ever ask for. Being well-behaving and good-looking, the two of them had no problems of finding a good wives for themselves. And that was all Kushina's father wanted: children who fit to his standards and produce a good offspring. With those two, he had had no worries. But then Kushina had entered the picture.

Kushina had always been the rambunctious kid. Growing without a mother figure and in the middle of a household where there were only men, she had tried to blend in, resulting her being the pain in her late father's back.

While her brothers had been married for a couple of years now; Kushina, at the age of 23, was still unmarried. In the ninja world, that was a huge deal. Most of Kushina's friends in Uzu had been married between the ages of 18 and 20. Since there was no guarantee that any ninja, shinobi or a kunoichi, would live to see any birthday next year, most of them wanted to get married and do it soon.

Once again, Kushina was not one of those. She was determined that _if _she ever got married, it'd be after a long career of being a kunoichi and serving her village. But her father thought otherwise.

So after getting back from her little mission, she was summoned to the Kage mansion, where her father had some interesting news to share with her.

''Kage, you wished to see me,'' Kushina said with a drained expression. She hated the kage mansion and wished to spend so little time there as possible. The mansion itself could be thought as her 'childhood home', but all the place ever gave her was a bunch of bad memories. So when she had hit the right age, she had moved away, leaving the mansion behind. The less things to remind her of the place, the better.

''I did indeed, Kushina. You see, I wanted to talk to you about marriage toda-'' he started, but was interrupted by Kushina.

''Hell to the no, old man. We have had this talk before, and believe it or not, my mind hasn't changed a bit. So the question is, who have you married me off to this time?'' She said, trying to sound as cold as she possibly could.

A couple years back, Kushina's father had started to really worry about his daughter's marital situation. Seeing no other options, he had started to ask from another village's men owning a high rank to marry his daughter. A few of them had said yes, and Kushina had been sent to meet those men, against her will of course.

The first man had been hideous. He had been a rich man in his late 50s from Kirikagure, who had had too much free time in his hands. When Kushina had arrived there, he had bluntly informed her how 'sexy and gorgeous' her body was, and how she should feel honored to be the 62nd wife of his and then he had proceeded on to tell her what he would be doing to her 'when the night would come'.

Before the man even knew it, Kushina had fled from there and was at home telling her father that there was no way that she was marrying that guy. Her father had been so angry with her, but she simply didn't care.

The second man was from Suna. He had been a lot more decent with her, but still the age gap was huge, and she couldn't see him as a possible love interest. Just to build his father's hopes up, she had stayed with the man for two months. After she came back, she swore she had seen a vein pop on her father's forehead.

After that she had hoped he had given up. For months she had heard nothing from his father, until now. Kushina was not happy to be hearing that that old man had found another man for her to marry, considering it was quite difficult, since her reputation had spread like a wildfire all over other lands.

When her father was done giving her a talk about how important good relations with other villages were, he proceeded to give her information about her 'future husband'.

''His name is Namikaze Minato, and he's from Konoha. You are destined to meet him in two weeks. If I hear a word that you have not met him in that time, or have done anything else to nullify this, there will be consequences. Have I made myself clear?'' He asked, and all Kushina could do was nod.

''Good. There will be a ferry tomorrow morning that will take you to the mainland, and from there you will have two weeks to get to Konoha. Give these papers to the guards at the Konoha gate, and they will direct you from that point onwards. And remember, there will be consequences if you fail to follow these orders.''

With those words Kushina exited the mansion and started to head towards her home. When she got to her apartment, she went in and flopped on to the bed.

''Huh… so it's time to meet the husband candidate number three,'' she thought and sighed.

But you know what they say: third time's the charm.

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><p><strong>So there it is! I hope it's any good and you will stick throw the whole fic! It will (hopefully) get better XD<strong>

**There will probably around 13 to 17 chapters. I've thought that each chapter would represent a day, so there will most likely be 15 chapters + an epilogue. But if I can't come up with any plot for each day, I might add two days to one chapter. Who knows?**


	2. Chapter 2

**DAY 1**

The ferry she was supposed to leave on was destined to take its leave from the port of Uzushiogakure early in the morning. Just half an hour before she was supposed to leave she climbed out of the bed. When Kushina realized what the time was, she hurriedly showered, packed what she thought she needed, put on her clothes and slipped on her jounin vest, and hurried to the port.

She had no time to say goodbyes to her teammates, brothers or any other friend of hers. She felt it wasn't necessary, since she would probably be back in few months. And as she watched the scenery of her beloved village stay behind, she started to form her ''battle plan''. She decided that if the guy was a horrible piece of shit, she would give him hell. She was known for that for heaven's sake. Any guy at her village knew better than to mess with her. So if this Namikaze Minato would turn out to be a complete idiot towards her, she would release her alter ego, Red Hot-Blooded Habanero. She smirked at her own plan. It was kunai proof and nothing could pierce it. She smiled as she whispered to herself:

''Come at me, Namikaze. I'll be ready.''

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><p>''Minato-sensei, Kakashi and Obito are doing it again!'' brown haired girl complained to her sensei. Her sensei just sighed, and walked over to the two who were causing ruckus.<p>

''Kakashi you stupid oaf, everyone knows that I'm the one out of the two of us who'll get the promotion to jounin first!'' claimed the dark haired kid with goggles, going by the name of Obito Uchiha.

To Obito's statement, the grey haired youngster could only utter a sarcastic laugh.

''You shrimp, I happen to already be a chunin, and you're still genin. Do you really think you have any chances of becoming a jounin _ever?_'' Kakashi stated, which only resulted in Obito charging at Kakashi.

Kakashi quickly moved into his battle stance and was ready to fight back. But before either of them could do anything, their sensei had moved in between them, placing a hand on both of their foreheads, and so ending the quarrel.

''You both, stop it this instant. Instead of fighting, couldn't you try to find a common ground?'' Minato sighed and continued his speech.

''Remember what I have taught you. Being a shinobi isn't all about being physically capable. Sure, it's a big factor, but what is more important is teamwork. And if either of you want to become a jounin, you _need _to learn to work as a team. At the moment Rin is the only one who is keeping this team together. And you can't rely on her too much. So you need to learn to work as a team as soon as possible, for everyone's sake. Is this clear?'' He asked in his sensei-voice, knowing that they'd both listen to him that way.

They both nodded, a little ashamed of their way of actions. Minato gave one of his trademark smiles and returned to his previous place under a tree, as the other two muttered a few apologizes to each other and to Rin.

''We will be travelling towards Konoha again tomorrow, so for the remaining day, restore yourself and enjoy the scenery. In about two weeks' time we will be back in Konoha.'' He informed and the three genins nodded, everyone going their separate ways in the nearby area.

Minato sat down to the ground and took out his letter which he had received from the Hokage earlier that day.

_Dear Minato,_

_I hope your mission is faring well and you're all in good health. But I'm not sending this message to discuss about your mission. _

_I'm writing this to inform you that we have found you a partner in marriage. She goes by the name of Uzumaki Kushina and is from the village of Whirlpool. She will be arriving here on the 13__th__ of July, and you must be back here to see and greet her._

_I know this might be a little sudden, but I'm only thinking of your best. You are like a son to me, you know that right? The fact is, that you are already 24 years old and you have shown no real interest in women before, because of your career as a ninja. But in my opinion it is time for you to settle down._

_So be here on 13__th__ of July and greet your possible wife-to-be._

_Yours,_

_Sandaime Hokage_

Minato sighed for the umpteenth time for the day. He was mildly surprised when he had received the letter. Sure, he had thought about marriage, but he had come to the conclusion that there was no good match for him in Konoha. He had dated a few times, but it hadn't been anything serious. He just didn't feel the 'spark' which he had read from his sensei's books. Sure, Jiraya's book were what they were, but other than the erotic parts, they had a few good lessons in them which everyone should learn. Of course he had always had his little 'fangirls', but all of them were just into his looks or skills.

''If only there would be someone who would get to know me because of me,'' thought Minato as he watched the clouds go by.

''Uzumaki Kushina… I wonder how she turns out to be…''

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><p><strong>(AN): So here's the second chapter! Nothing great, I know, just a little 'filler' I guess. Next chapter is when the gears start to move and Minato and Kushina will meet for the first time!**

**I know this second update came really fast, but since I have my holiday vacations now, I figured it would be fun to write this fic as much as I possibly can. **

**And thank you for the three reviews I got! You have no idea how happy they made me, since I thought I would get none / and to answer one of them; I write in English simply because I want to improve my skills and I like to challenge myself every now and then (: Of course I could write in my native language, (which is Finnish) but I feel that if I write in English, I'll improve my skills and I have a bigger audience whom I'm writing to. (:**

**So thank you for the reviewers: **_**kirenuchiha1****, ****Bananarock509**** and ****hirana matabishi**_

**I hope you like this and see you next time!**

**Remember to rate and review or something like that Dx**


	3. Chapter 3

**DAY 3**

After the long ferry ride to the mainland, Kushina felt refreshed. Sure, she lived on an island, but that didn't mean that she enjoyed any type of boat ride. So after she got out of that damned thing and felt the solid ground beneath her two feet, the feelings she was experiencing could only be described as pure happiness. But those feelings were fading fast, as she realized that now every step she would be taking, would be leading her one step closer to her next ''husband-to-be''.

So Kushina did what she was told, and started her journey towards Konoha. She jumped up to a tree branch, thinking it would be faster to travel that way.

''What if I actually happen to like that Namikaze brat? And what if he likes me? What if we fall in love? Does that mean I have to leave my village? No, that wouldn't happen… but what if it would?'' Kushina thought as she jumped forward up in the trees. Kushina was so deep in her thoughts that she didn't notice at all that someone with brown hair and petite frame crashed into her, causing both of the females come crashing down to the ground.

''What the… watch where you're going you li-'' Kushina started but then realized who she was talking to. This girl couldn't be more than 13 years old, 15 at maximum. So she tried to control her temper, not wanting to shock the poor girl even more.

''I-I am really sorry ma'am. It was my fault for not noticing you and crashing horribly to you. I apologize.'' Said the kid with brown hair.

Kushina couldn't believe her ears. 'Ma'am?' Was she really that old looking or was this girl in such startled state that she couldn't comprehend the situation? Or was the girl in front of her just so well-behaved, like a good girl should be? Kushina had no clue. Being raised like one of the guys never really gave her the possibility to act like one of the girls. Not that she needed that anyway, she was going to be kunoichi for the rest of her life. That was the only thing she knew and nothing would ever change that. Not even that Namikaze brat.

''Don't sweat it kid. Accidents happen. Besides –'' Kushina started to say, but was interrupted by three males, about the same age as she was.

''Look at this, guys. I guess we got our entertainment for the day.'' One of them said while eyeing them both up.

Kushina felt disgusted and the girl next to her looked frightened. She clearly isn't the fighting type, Kushina figured.

''The other one looks a lot like the basic bitches we see every day, plus she hasn't matured yet on the right parts. But this other one with red hair… she looks intriguing.'' Said the second dude.

''Indeed, but I think we can get something out of that other chick too. Get them both.'' Said the third.

Kushina evaluated the situation. Three guys with no showing ninja skills, she could take them all out. But if they turned out to be shinobi's, she would be in trouble.

''Hey, what's your name?'' Kushina whispered to the girl next to her, not wanting to cause any type of commotion within the three guys.

She squeaked a tiny response, and so Kushina learned that her name was Rin. Kushina came to the conclusion that this must be one of her first mission outside of her village, thus her being so unstable. Kushina had dealt with bandits like these many times in her life, but trying to save her and Rin without shocking the younger girl too much was a whole different story.

''Rin, get behind me,'' Kushina said with a firm voice. She was ready for a battle as soon as she felt Rin behind her, but just before she would have attacked, there suddenly stood a blonde haired male between her and the bandits.

''Sensei!'' Kushina heard Rin behind her shout out.

The girl's sensei acknowledge his student and then turned to face Kushina and said,

''I can handle the situation from now on, you can just continue your travelling. A pretty woman like you shouldn't get their hands dirty.''

And before anyone could register what had happened, Kushina had launched herself towards the three bandits. With a few swings of her kunai and a few kicks and punches here and there, the three bandits were on the ground, unconscious and unable to move.

Rin and her now joined team could only watch the situation unfold before them. They were not expecting that woman to be so violent and capable of taking down three men twice her size. And they could also just watch that same woman marching towards their sensei and punching him straight to the stomach.

The punch had come so unexpectedly that all Minato could do was stagger a few steps behind and in the end, fall to the ground. Minato thought that letting her know that she had the ultimate power in this situation would be the best thing to do, so he simply stayed quiet and waited for the kunoichi to say what was on her mind.

''Don't… you… _ever_… offer to fight some simple fight for me! Understood?!'' The red haired woman said with a stern voice.

''Uhm… of course…'' Minato stuttered, and for the first time in his life he found himself speechless. He had always thought of himself as a well-prepared to any kind of situation and had always thought that his charm would be there to rescue him if he ever managed to anger anyone. Which he had never done. In all of his life had he made no one angry. He was just one of those people who would never in any situation get angry or would anyone be angry with him. Well another myth was busted.

''What was it? Speak louder!'' The kunoichi commanded and he felt that the only way for himself to save himself from her killer aura was to comply.

''Yes, I understood. Now would you step aside, I'd like to get back up again.'' He said with the utmost of politeness he could muster.

She looked like she processed what he just had said for a moment and lend her hand for him. Needless to say, he was a little surprised for her course of action, but took her hand anyway.

As skin touched skin, he felt something. The spark. The spark that he had been looking for. It was just for a short while, but even after she had let go of his hand, he was sure it had been there. Minato felt like he had to get to know her some way. It's not every day you touch someone and get that kind of reaction. So he decided to be bold and ask a few questions.

''I thank you for saving my student. Is there anything I could do for you?''

''So now you're offering me something? Don't you think I can manage on my own huh?'' She shot back venomously and took a step closer to Minato.

''Oh no no. I just thought of repaying your kindness somehow,'' Minato answered while swaying his hands left to right in front of him, trying to calm her down.

''Hmm, well if you could point me to the direction of Konoha that would be nice.''

''Konoha? You're not from there aren't you?''

''Idiot, do you actually think I would be asking directions to my own village? Clearly I'm not from Konoha.'' She said with a hint of annoyance.

''Uh, of course. Guess I'm still a bit off after that punch of yours.'' Minato knew that all women liked compliments, whether you complimented their appearance or their skills, there was no difference. And if compliments were the key to not get his stomach punched _again _he would do it.

She just sighed, proving to him that his compliments hadn't really hit the spot he had wanted them to hit.

''Look, if you could just point me to Konoha, that would be great.'' She said, clearly wanting to get a move on already.

''If you'd like, we could all go together. I mean, we're from Konoha and we're just heading back,'' Minato asked. He wanted to know this woman better. Why? He didn't really know, but that spark he had felt when he had touched her, was enough of a reason for him. He didn't want to let that feeling go, or the source of that feeling.

She considered the offer for a short while and agreed with it.

''But you're gonna let me fight my fight's okay?'' She said after agreeing.

Minato gave a little laugh and agreed to that. He then waved his students over and made them introduce themselves.

''What about you? What's your name and where do you come from?'' asked Rin, clearly the most comfortable of the three with the woman.

''Oh me? Yeah, I guess I should introduce myself. I'm Uzumaki Kushina from Uzushiogakure and I'm on my way to Konoha to meet some guy named Namikaze Minato who is to become my husband.''

Kakashi, Obito and Rin were all surprised to hear this. They knew that their sensei wasn't the biggest dater there was, but still that to have this woman marry their sensei? Any of them couldn't believe their ears.

But the most shocked of them all was Minato himself. So this was the Kushina he was supposed to marry? He couldn't deny that he was surprised. All he could think of was that could any relationship between them work. No, it couldn't. She was way too hot-tempered for him. Way too anything for him. They were so different, like the sun and the moon. This could never work. Unless he made it work. Maybe if she would get to know him and he would get to know her, this could work.

''So, you're the only one left, sensei-sama,'' Kushina said with an overly sweet voice, ''what's your name?''

His name.

If he wanted her to get to know the real him, and not be disgusted away at this point, he couldn't introduce himself as himself. He needed a plan, and he needed one now.

''Kazonima Minao.''

That was his name. For now at least.

''Kazonima Minao huh,'' Kushina said out loud and for a moment Minato thought he had been discovered, but then she continued;

''Are they drunk in Konoha when they name their babies because Kazonima Minao sounds really strange.'' She laughed after having said that and Minato gave a nervous laugh as well. He had dodged the kunai for now.

And for the remaining two weeks, he was going to be Minao Kazonima from Konoha.

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><p><strong>(AN): I hope I didn't let you down with this. I'm trying my hardest, please note that xd**

**First I thought that I'd update when I have chapter 4 written out, but then I saw your reviews telling me that you actually like this fic and want me to update so here ya go! Happy New Year! **

**On that note, thanks for the new reviewers: **_Shirosaki-hime__, Sayuri, __Shy-Tomboy_ and _Kakashi213_

**After a lot of thinking, I'm probably gonna keep this fic quite short maybe around 6 to 8 chapters or so, since I realized that I have nowhere enough content ideas to make this fic to a 15 chapter fic. (Sorry if I let someone down with this.) So if you have any ideas for me, please send them, they are always appreciated!**

**Also I want to say, that I will complete this fic! I have seen so many MinaKushi fics that haven't been completed, and I honestly can't stand that Dx So I don't care how long it is going to take me to complete this fic, but I will do it! So you can count on me!**

**(+ I'm suffering from some kind of a writer's block at the moment, but I'll try to write and update as soon as possible!)**

**Please rate and review and something & have a good day/evening! (:**


	4. Chapter 4

**DAY 6**

In the days between their first meeting and present, Minato had learned that he and Kushina had almost nothing in common. She liked ramen, he wasn't such a big fan of it (saying that out loud had earned him a rather powerful punch to his arm), she liked sweet things, he was more into sour stuff (yet _another _punch was inflicted to his arm) and of course the biggest difference: Kushina was a dog person and Minato was a cat person. When this piece of information came up in a conversation between the two of us, it took both Obito and Kakashi to hold the red head back while Rin was trying to calm said red head down. With the help of Rin, Kakashi and Obito, they managed to make peace.

Minato's only thought at the moment was that this woman was a psycho. She had to be. No other woman had ever acted that way towards him before. _Hell, _no other woman would act like that towards _anyone. _But as she always said to him, 'she wasn't like all the other girls he had ever met'. At least she had it right with that.

What Minato didn't know was that there actually was a legit reason to her angriness. Kushina had figured out the second day they had travelled together that this 'Minao' was actually the Minato she was supposed to meet and ''marry'' in Konoha. All the slips from his students and the really big similarity to his real name had given her enough proof that her theory was correct. What pissed her off was not that he had bluntly lied to her about his name (okay, it did piss her off a little, but she had the damn right to be), but the fact that he thought she was stupid enough to not put the pieces together. Kushina came to the conclusion that this so-called prodigy (she had learned that after having a few conversations with Rin and Obito, who clearly held their sensei on a high pedestal) considered her to be some hillbilly from the little village of Uzu in the middle of nowhere who knows nothing and is as dumb as a snail. If he thought she was so stupid, let him believe so. She would be the one laughing at him in the end.

He basically asked for the cold treatment, and cold treatment is what he was going to get.

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><p>The sixth day was drawing to a close when Minato, his team and Kushina found a somewhat cheap inn from a little village to stay at and rest for the night.<p>

When Minato had made sure that his team was fed, had got what they needed from the village and were headed towards the inn, he decided to take some time for himself and think for a while. For the past days he had felt that everything had fell upon him. It felt like his team was slowly falling apart because of the constant clashes between Obito and Kakashi. He was running out of options of what to do with them. Rin helped a little, but there wasn't much one person could do. There would be no way for any of them to make jounin ever. Being a jounin meant being able to work as a team, which Obito and Kakashi both lacked, and at the same time being a strong individual both physically and mentally, which Rin really wasn't. Together as a team they would have a chance, but at their current state, there would be no promotions in sight.

And then to his second problem, who had a gorgeous red hair and grey eyes with a tint of blueness in them. Minato wanted to get along with her _so, so bad. _So what was it with her that made her only talk to him if she was going to argue with him? What had he ever done to her except shown kindness and being the most helpful human being anyone could ask? And he was supposed to marry that person?

He didn't get a chance to finish his thoughts, since a familiar red head slouched next to him on the grass. He thought he could smell a faint scent of coconut emitting from her hair when she found her place next to him.

Not a single word was said for the next few minutes. For Kushina the silence had started to become awkward the second it started, so she thought that it was her time to start up the talk between them.

''A beautiful night, don't you agree?''

Minato was a little stunned by the sudden question. He hadn't expected her to start up any conversation with him, after all he was the one she had been arguing with the most, Obito being the close second. On the other hand he was happy about this turn of events, but at the same time that 'don't you agree' at the back of her sentence brought back all the nasty arguments.

'_Shit, I'm really overthinking this. Since when have I had any trouble with small talk? Get your shit together Minato and get it together fast,' _Minato thought to himself before answering.

''It is, indeed.''

'_Really Minato, that's all you can come up with? Fucking hell… and she took the initiative to come up and talk to you first, you should at least try to answer with something a lot fucking better.' _Minato scolded himself and instead of saying anything else, just gave one of his gentle smiles to her and prayed to every Kami out there, that she would just let his answer slide.

The silence after Minato's response floated around them for a short time, before Kushina once again opened her mouth.

''A ryō for your thoughts?'' She asked and once again, surprising Minato with her forwardness to talk to him. Wasn't she supposed to detest him?

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><p>The day for Kushina had been great. She and 'Minao' as he liked to call himself hadn't argued that much. Sure, there had been a few light bickerings here and there, but those never hurt either of them, on the contrary actually, it made them smile. With every bickering they grew just a teeny tiny bit closer to each other, discovering new things about the other person. And that really made Kushina happy, though she didn't know why. Yet.<p>

When the sun was setting, Kushina saw Minato seeing his students off and then making his way towards the outskirts of the little village. Having just been to the public baths of the village and not having anything better to do, she decided to follow him. She wasn't sure why exactly she was following him from afar, but then decided that it was because she wanted to see how her future 'hubby' was when she wasn't around to aggravate him.

It seemed like Minato had found a nice spot on the grass and now was thinking something not so nice, judging from the frown that his face now had. This might have been the first time Kushina had seen Minato with that kind of a facial expression. Now that she thought of it, she had only seen Minato with that grin of his. Much to Kushina's dismay, she was growing weaker and weaker against that smile. Whenever they'd have an argument these days, it took all of her willpower not to grin back at him. That was just one of those smiles.

Realizing that, Kushina gave herself a little slap, trying to wake her rational side up. _'To grin back at him? Dear me, wake the fuck up. You cannot start to like him. You simply__** can't**__ do that. You must show father that he can't control your future like this. You __**need **__to show him that you're the only one who can decide what falls upon you.'_

After staying there for a few minutes, she saw that the frown on Minato's face had somehow deepened. Before her brain could comprehend what she was doing, she found herself sitting next to Minato. She had would've thought that if she'd just simply sit next to him, he would start talking, like many villagers in Uzu usually do. But sitting there for five minutes in complete silence, she couldn't handle it anymore. So she decided against her better judgment to talk to him.

''A beautiful night, don't you agree?''

It was fair to say that she was just as stunned as she thought he looked like. She was surprised about her forwardness and seeing his face she figured he was just as stunned. He had not seen that one coming.

'_Really Kushina, really? That's the best you can come up with? You have talked to guys before, so what's making you so nervous this time? It's not like you even fancy him. No, he's just another guy among thousands of other guys. He's nothing special. Well, he is a good fighter, a brilliant sensei to his students and he is fairly good-looking. Oh what would I give to run my fingers through those blond strands of hair and then maybe let my hands wander through his che- WAIT WHAT? __**No.**__ Just no. This can't be happening. I need to shut down my brain somehow…'_

Kushina was so in thoughts that she almost missed his answer.

''It is, indeed.''

'_Well he's just a pure social butterfly. Fine Minato, leave the talking to the awkward one.'_

After thinking for a while what to say next, she decided to use the most awkward conversation starter she could think of.

''A ryō for your thoughts?'' She asked and hoped that the blonde would answer with a bit more than one sentence.

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><p>He decided to give her an answer. He really wasn't in the mood to argue with her.<p>

''I'm just thinking of how my life is going downwards and I feel like there's nothing I can do about it.'' Minato hadn't thought to give such deep and honest answer, but there it was now. No taking it back.

''Care to elaborate?'' The surprise must've shown on his face, since she continued, ''I mean I might not be the person you want to talk the most at the moment, but it sounds like you need someone to talk to and listen to you. And I'm here. So go ahead and talk.''

And that did it for him. He wasn't sure what it was in her that made him pour everything to her. From the problems in his team to his personal problems. And she listened it all. She didn't call him a wimp for complaining about his problems. She didn't belittle them. She simply listened to him and offered her advices.

''So about your personal problems. You have this girl in your village whom you're supposed to marry but in fact you don't really know her, you are uncertain what to do with the whole thing and you are afraid that your personalities won't fit together at all?'' Kushina asked.

''Yeah, that's the whole thing in a nutshell,'' Minato said. He had had to change the actual situation a bit since he didn't want Kushina to know that it was actually her he was supposed to marry.

'_Oh how cute he is, avoiding the real subject like that. But I must admit that he is more clever than I give him credit for,' _Kushina thought.

''Well I'm not the best one to give relationship advices, but I'd say give her a chance,''

'_Wait wait wait what the hell I am saying?! This is my ticket to freedom! I could talk him to run and run fast away from me so what the hell am I saying?' _

''I mean you don't know her so who knows how she'll turn out to be. Some girls are just hard on the surface, and it takes some work to get to their core. But some girls are just worth the pain. Maybe she is one of those, who knows.''

'…_what the actual fuck was that?! I didn't even know I could be so sentimental… but still! Dear Kami forgive me…''_

Minato just stared at her. He only hoped that she would have known that it was her that he was supposed to marry.

''Are you sure? I feel like we might have nothing in common. Literally nothing. She's like the moon and I'm the sun. She's fire and I am water. I feel like I _want _to know her inside out. I _want _to take care of her. And in the end I _want_ to... love her. And above everything, I _want _her to want the same things.''

''You know what they say, actions speak louder than words. Prove it to her that you're serious about her and that you want to know her. She sounds like she doesn't really listen all the time, so I'd say actions are the way for you.''

At that moment Minato knew how he should approach the situation. Everything that he had said tonight was true. He wanted to know her. Now he just needed to put his thoughts into action.

''You're right. Thank you for listening to me tonight, Kushina-san.'' And with that he moved a little and pressed his lips against her cheek. After that he rose up and walked away, leaving very baffled Kushina behind him.

Kushina was absolutely blown away. She couldn't deny that he had a point. They were different, very much so. But deep inside her, she had felt something when he had kissed her cheek. Some kind of a spark she had never ever felt before. All she knew was that that spark was very dangerous. If she'd let that spark grow and turn into a full-grown fire, it would mean that she had lost.

And Kushina Uzumaki didn't like to lose.

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><p><strong>(AN): Well another chapter is up! I hope I didn't let anyone down with this. I just felt like Kushina simply couldn't be that dumb that she wouldn't see the situation in front of her. Tell me your opinions!**

**And thank you for the new reviewers: **A, Alley McNally and Jerza Fernandes !

**Remember to rate and review and something! (:**


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